A tune from U2 greeted Ottawa figure skater Mandy Valentine when she warmed up yesterday at the Canadian championships.

She was much too in the zone to notice Bono singing, "She moves in mysterious ways," while skating around the ice, waiting for the previous competitor's marks to be announced.

But after completing her junior women's short program, she tried to make sense of just what those moves had accomplished.

Valentine sits in the middle of the pack, ranked 10th in the group of 21 skaters, with Saturday's free program to come.

"I'm glad I made the best of the situation," said the 15-year-old Nepean Skating Club member. "There were a few minor errors, but I have to forget about those and move on to my long program."

Last year, Valentine finished third at the nationals and hopes to get closer to a top-five finish following her free skate. She'd like to accomplish that in her home town with so many friends and relatives watching from the Civic Centre seats.

"It's just as hard as any other competition. You try to block out all your nervousness and use the (crowd) to your advantage," she said.

"Of course, it's always a stressful situation going out there, especially in a national competition. You just try to focus on yourself and try to get in your own zone."